Local Residents Still Helping Teen With Rare Disease Find Kidney

ISLIP, NY - The local community is still rallying around a local teen in need of a kidney.

Last May, Islip High School student Malik Ellis got to fulfill his dream of working for the Long Island Rail Road after a video posted by assistant principal Lisa Ward on YouTube got the attention of MTA officials.

In the video, Ellis spoke about having prune belly syndrome which causes kidney failure in both of his kidneys. The video was posted with the intention of finding him a donor.

In 2011, Ellis got a kidney transplant from his older sister which allowed him to "do the things he wanted to do." However two years later, the kidney began to fail and caused internal bleeding.

Now 6 months later, Ellis is still in and out of hospitals and still needs a kidney. Luckily, the local community hasn't forgotten him.

Recently, Islip resident Toniann Briscoe started a fundraiser on GoFundMe to help Ellis and his family.

"At this moment he is currently receiving dialysis 3 times a week to assist the kidney in filtering the body," Briscoe wrote on the page. "Three times a week he travels with his mom or a family member from his home in Islip, NY to his dialysis center in NYC. Through out this time his mom has called out from work in order to travel with him for his appointments."

The page was created to help cover traveling expenses and missed days from work for the family while the 18-year-old is receiving treatment.

"Any donations would be helpful in supporting Malik through these hardships as he waits for a kidney transplant," Briscoe wrote.

The goal of the page is to raise $10,000. As of Wednesday, the page has raised a total of $1,850.

To read more or to donate, visit the GoFundMe page here.

Image via Islip School District